A Gift from Korea
by Aurora20
Summary: What happens to Hawkeye and Margaret after the war. It starts with Margaret but will alternate throughout. HM story but others will make appearances.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own these characters! But I LOVE the show!

Walking out of the Union Station and on to green grass Major Margaret Houlihan stopped and took a deep breath, absorbing the crisp fall air. It was over. She wasn't actually Major anymore. Now she was a civilian. Margaret.

She had stuck to her guns when she decided to leave the army and commit herself fully to nursing. The war had ended nearly a month ago and she was finally about to start her new life. She had told her father that she was not going to accept any of the positions he had offered for her and proudly held her ground against his displeasure. And all on her own she got a job at Georgetown University Hospital as head nurse.

"Would you like a ride M'am," a cab driver asked.

"No thanks," Margaret said smiling. "I'll walk."

Life back in the States hadn't been easy. Margaret was not the same person she'd been when she left for Korea, not by a long shot. The tragedy of war would affect anyone but it was more than her perception of the world that had changed. In fact as most returned with a sobered heart, the former Major felt hers had expanded and filled in ways she'd never imagined and by a person she'd never expected.

She hadn't talked to Hawkeye Pierce since their good-bye kiss but she thought about him everyday. She thought about the night they had spent saying good-bye to each other although very few words were used. The memories of that night were bittersweet. She had never felt more loved or connected to another person than she had then but at the same time it was over. They had never discussed their future with each other. They knew they were going separate ways and that their time together was only a good-bye, although they never said the words.

It was all Margaret could do at times to not pick up a pen and write Pierce. She had started hundreds of letters in her head but she could never bring herself to write them down. Hawkeye was a notorious womanizer and while she couldn't believe that their night together had not been special, she could not imagine that he would want to settle down - at least not with her. And although it was painful at times Margaret accepted it. She looked back on her memories fondly and came to understand and believe the old cliché "it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved before".


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews. I hadn't actually been expecting anything so now the pressure is on .

Be forewarned I'm no MASH writer for one and I think both HM changed a lot by war's end so some people might get upset that I'm straying, and I'm sorry.

I don't own these characters.

Chapter 2

"I'm moving, I'm moving." Margaret moaned, groggily turning off her alarm clock. One thing she most enjoyed about being back in the states was that she could sleep uninterrupted. And better still she found that unlike many of her fellow veterans she was not haunted by the war in her dreams; in fact, her dreams tended to consist of one person and Margaret attributed that person to why she slept so much more than she use to.

It was her first day of work and she was both excited and apprehensive. This would be an entirely new environment for her and she wasn't sure she was prepared for the changes. In the army her status as Head Nurse was reinforced by her rank as Major and she was able to make necessary decisions. She knew things would be different in civilian life and it made her nervous. So nervous that she could barely eat any breakfast and what she did eat came up immediately.

Rushing around her Georgetown apartment Margaret quickly gathered her things to leave. The last thing she needed was to be late her first day.

"You must be Major Margaret Houlihan. I'm Chief of Staff Al Roberts." Al said extending his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"It's my pleasure Sir." Margaret said obeying his motion to sit. "And I'm no longer in the military so the Major is not necessary."

"You are a veteran, you're always a Major. I know I was a Major myself in the First World War."

"I did not know that."

"War is hell, as I'm sure you can attest. I'm glad the damned thing is over with and I'm glad you've decided to join us. Now I overbooked my schedule and am meeting ol' Ike for some rounds so I'm going to let one of our surgeons show you around. I'm not quite sure where he is at the mom-"

"Sorry I'm late, Sir."

"Ah Brad, good. Miss. Houlihan I'd like you to meet one of our finest doctor Dr. Bradley Mitchell."

"Pleasure to meet you Doctor." Margaret said standing and extending her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine I'm sure." Brad said grinning. "I know you have to go Sir I can take over from here."

"Wonderful, now Margaret I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir."

After Dr. Roberts left Brad began to give Margaret a tour of the hospital informing her on policy and procedures. Margaret listen intently taking notes when necessary and was caught off guard when the conversation drifted in nature.

"I'm must say I wasn't expecting such an attractive nurse."

"Pardon?" Margaret said taken aback.

"Well when they informed me that they had hired a veteran and a Major no less I assumed it would be an older woman."

"Oh."

"What was it like there? In Korea."

"Hell." Margaret replied bluntly.

"I hear that MASH units are well equipped these days." Brad said slowing his pace to walk next to her.

"Sometimes." she replied, uncomfortable about the talk of war.

"Margaret, I was wondering would you like to -"

"Maggie!" a woman cried from the other end of the hall. "Maggie Houlihan is that you?"

Margaret turned and smiled. "What on earth are you doing here Jane?"

"I was just about to say the same thing to you!"

"Last time I heard Auntie Anne said you were on your way to the Netherlands or something." Jane said giving Margaret a hug.

"I changed my mind. I'm working here as head surgical nurse." Margaret informed her glancing over at Dr. Mitchell.

"That's wonderful. Oh hello Dr. Mitchell." Jane said lowering her voice.

"Hello, Jane."

"Well, I don't want to get you in trouble on your first day. Here, come to my house tonight I get off at 5 and will be home after that." Jane said writing down her address and handing it to Margaret.

"Alright," Margaret said a bit flustered. "Bye"

"How do you know Jane?" Brad asked once the woman was out of ear shot.

"She's my cousin. How do you know her?"

"Everyone knows Jane."


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews. Sorry it took awhile for the update but I suffered trouble shooting problems and I've been going back and forth between where I want to go with the story J .

Chapter 3

"I'll be Maggie Houlihan! You'd give Marilyn herself a run for her money in that outfit." Jane complimented as she let Margaret in her house. "You look wonderful! No one would guess you're just back from Korea.

"Thanks," Margaret replied smiling glad to see a familiar face.

When she had first decided to accept the job in Washington she hadn't remembered that her cousin and friend Jane Dexter had moved to the capital shortly before the war. As an army child Margaret hadn't been able to make very many friends growing up and Jane had been her close friend and confidante; they spent summers at each others homes and saw each other on holidays but after high school they had drifted apart. Margaret's mother had never been too fond of her husband's sister to begin with and as the families strayed so did the two cousins. Margaret was thrilled to have her friend back, especially Jane because she knew that her friendship with her cousin was one thing she could pick up at anytime without too much worry about change.

"Follow me to the kitchen I've got to start with dinner. I want you to stay. It's nothing special, although I thought we could eat outside. Joe is away on business and so it's just me and the kids tonight." Jane blabbered on happily dragging Margaret behind her.

"Kids?"

"Don't tell me you don't know!" Jane exclaimed. "Joe and I had a baby, two babies actually. Joey he's almost three now and Helen just turned one last month."

"No one told me." Margaret said suddenly feeling left out.

It was one of the most difficult things about being at war, coming back to all of the changes. Time doesn't stop and people continue to live their lives, leaving those who are returning out of the loop. Margaret felt this loss everyday when she saw a movie poster with an unfamiliar name or a new cosmetic in the store window. Learning that her cousin had had a family while she was gone was a hard pill to swallow.

"Maggie. Maggie," Jane repeated.

"What?" Margaret asked coming back to reality.

"Here they are. Joey come say hi to Mommy's friend and cousin Aunt Maggie." Jane instructed the youngster who obediently obeyed her command.

"My God, he looks just like Joe." Margaret said putting on the smile she had become accustomed to faking.

"I know. He's completely his father's son. And here is Helen." Jane said handing the baby over to Margaret.

"She's beautiful," Margaret commented feeling a twinge of jealously.

"Mommy can I play outside?" Joey asked.

"Mommy is about to play dinner and you can't play outside by yourself."

"I can watch them if you want." Margaret offered, as she played with Helen.

"If you don't mind. There are some toys and stuff out there. And if you want you can lay Helen down on a blanket outside. It shouldn't take me too long to make dinner."

"No problem. Come on Joey let's go play outside." Margaret said taking the boy's hand in hers.

"You were great with them." Jane commented after they had finished their dinner and the two women sat at the picnic table, while Joey ran around the backyard and Helen played with her doll.

"They're fun kid."

"I was watching from the kitchen window and you were a natural. I've never seen Helen laugh so much. You're going to be a great mom Margaret."

"Thanks," Margaret said looking at the kids, the loss she had felt earlier coming back to her.

"How's it feel to be back?"

"It feels…..strange. I feel like a stranger." Margaret confided. "Everything is so different. It's amazing but I felt more comfortable in Korea, at least then I knew where I belong."

"You don't feel like you belong here?"

"Honestly, not really. You know how much my family moved around. I was never at one place long enough to have a home. And then I joined the army and that was my home but now that's gone and I kind of feel lost." Margaret said looking into her glass of lemonade. "I wanted to leave the army. To have a normal life but now I don't know what a normal life is or how to get one…. This new job terrifies me."

"Mags, you're an amazing nurse. The best there is. You have nothing to be concerned about." Jane assured.

"It's not the job exactly. I know I'm a great nurse but I'm not so great with interacting with people. In the army I was a Major I out ranked most the people in the unit. I ordered people what to do. Now I can't. That scares me."

"You'll get use to it. You're going to be great. You'll see. Here let me get you some more lemonade." Jane said taking her glass and heading in the house.

Thinking about the army reminded Margaret of a package she had received from Father Mulcahy, this afternoon. Walking over to her bag, she grabbed it and pulled it out.

_Dear Major Houlihan,_

_I hope all is well in America and you are enjoying yourself. I sure do miss all of you from the 4077th. I am well and am preparing to be sent to Detroit. One of the young chaps from the orphanage gave me your camera bag that you let them play with. I was mighty pleased to see that both your camera and film were accounted for. I took the liberty of having your film developed, although I did not look at the pictures, as a thank you for sharing with the children, they really had a wonderful time with the thing and will always remember you for it. Well, I'm sure you're busy and truth be told so am I. I hope to hear from you when you get the chance._

_God Bless You,_

_Father Mulcahy_

"What's that?" Jane asked returning to the table.

"My camera, I accidentally left it in Korea. I hadn't even realized, I let the kids from the orphanage play for it on our last days there and must have forgotten to get it back. I'm surprised I did."

"Why?" Jane asked confused. "If it's yours and you let them borrow it of course you'd get it back."

Margaret curled her lips at her cousin's comment. It was a typical response from an America or anyone who hadn't experienced the war. And it was one of the things that made it difficult to adjust to civilian life.

"They are very poor in Korea. Those children have no money and there is a very prosperous black-market in which they could have sold this too." Margaret explained.

"Oh, well… are there pictures in there?" Jane asked looking to change the subject.

"In fact there are." Margaret said hoping with Jane to lighten the mood. "I don't even know what these pictures could possibly be. You know how my mother is a photo fanatic she gave it too me and told me to take pictures of everyone as to not forget - as if I would. Once I got there I took a couple and quit, in the last year or so I took more. Not that many though."

"Let's have a look." Jane said moving to the other side of the table to be next to her cousin.

"Oh," Margaret said sadly as she looked at the first picture.

"Who's that?"

"That's Colonel Blake the first CO of the 4077th. He was a very nice man. Unfortunately he was killed as he was going home."

"That's horrible."

Turning to the next picture Margaret laughed.

"My Lord is that a man in a dress?" Jane asked shocked.

"That is Corp- Sergeant Max Klinger. He wore a dress for the longest time trying to get a section eight. He tried more tricks than anyone I've ever seen. But he's a good guy. He married Soon-Lee a Korean girl right before we left and stayed in Korea to help her find her family."

"How ironic."

"That's Radar there. I'm not sure why I took that picture maybe I was getting one of the Swamp."

"I don't see a swamp." Jane replied puzzled.

"That was the doctor's tent. Believe me it was named correctly. The things that went on there. Oh God Hawkeye made the most vile drink in a still. Lord." Margaret remembered rolling her eyes. "Anyway Radar was a sweet kid. I gave him a hard time and sometime I think I could have been a little more patient-"

"What did you do?" Jane asked curiously.

"I yelled at him a lot, kicked him a couple time, that sort of thing."

"Maggie!" Jane exclaimed with laughter.

"He left early to help his mother with the family farm. Things were rough and we sent over a Korean boy to help him. I kind of wonder what happened to him." Margaret said thoughtfully before turning to the next picture.

"There's father Mulcahy, he's the one who sent me the pictures. Also a very kind man. Oh good God!" Margaret cried as she went to the next picture.

"Who's that?"

"Frank Burns. The stories I could tell you about that weasel. This picture has got to go." Margaret replied about to tear it in half.

"Wait. You may want to remember him."

"Trust me; first off I will never want to remember Frank but it doesn't matter because I'll never forget him either. Picture or not." Margaret assured.

"So keep it, you can show your kids and grandkids."

"I think not." Margaret said tearing it up. "Good gracious. All the men I want to forget."

"Who's this?"

"Donald Penobscot, my ex-husband." Margaret said ready to tear up another picture.

"Let me look first. I can't believe you were married!" Jane exclaimed. "When? How long? What happened?"

"In Korea, too long and I came to my senses." Margaret said taking the photo and tearing it in half. "So long Donald." Jane said smirking.

"Ah here's a good one. Colonel Potter and his horse Sophie." Margaret gleefully replied. "Oh I love him. He's a wonderful man. Oh look at this. Here's a picture of our units Olympics. We lost and it was all Donald's fault. There's BJ Hunnicutt. A perfect gentleman. He has a wife and daughter and is completely devoted to them. What I wouldn't give for a man like him. There's Nurse Kelley she was a sweet girl. Oh and Hawkeye." Margaret said quickly turning to the next picture.

"He's handsome - what -"

"Oh look Charles. He was very …very… cultured. He replaced ferret face and is an excellent surgeon but rather stuffy. Hawkeye and BJ use to do the most …well sometimes amusing things to him. He was one of the Swampmen although I'm sure he would kill me if he heard me refer to him as that."

"It seems to me things weren't all bad in Korea."

"No, I guess not all bad." Margaret said turning to a new picture and seeing Hawkeye.

"Who is this guy? Hawkeye right?" Jane asked noticing the change in Margaret's face when she saw the picture.

"Yeah. Captain Pierce. He's an amazing surgeon." Margaret said smiling at the picture of Hawkeye in his Hawaiian shirt and straw hat. "I couldn't stand him in the beginning. He drove me crazy, he was loud, obnoxious, egotistical, womanizer - I swear he slept with every single woman in the unit - anyway he…well…. he was all the same when we left but I don't know. He was fun and he was compassionate. He was passionate in general. Hawkeye was my best friend in Korea."

"Have you spoken to him since you've come back?"

"No, no. Oh here's a picture one of the kids must have taken." Margaret said eager to move away from the subject of Hawkeye.

"Look at you!" Jane squealed. "Who's the baby?"

"Oh," Margaret said smiling. "That's Kim, we celebrated her birthday and BJ's daughter's birthday at the same time. She was so cute."

"Look at you with her. That grin." Jane said taking the picture and revealing another picture of Hawkeye but this one he was somber. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know? This is at the party." Margaret said trying to place the picture in time. "He had a rough time in the end. I don't know. It must have been hard for him."

"You said he slept with every girl in the camp. Were you one of the every girls?"

"What!" Margaret cried indignant, as she flipped through a couple more pictures quickly.

"I mean, the look on your face whenever you flip by his picture is - look at his expression in this picture. Your faces couldn't possibly be any closer." Jane said grabbing the next photograph.

"Give me that. Where did this come from?" Margaret spoke aloud but really was only talking to herself. The picture was from the go away party and she couldn't imagine who took it because none of the children were there that night.

"He's handsome. Do you love him? Did you two make love?"

"Seriously! Jane I'm not discussing this with you." Margaret said getting up.

"We're grown up. Hell we use to talk about this stuff when we only thought we were grown up." Jane protested pulling her down.

"Fine. We were intimate - sometimes. We were trapped in a abandoned house once and ….whatever. We had a nice good-bye." Margaret admitted.

"Is he good with his hands?"

"You're horrible," Margaret said laughing. "But yes, very."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It took him two weeks but Brad Mitchell finally finished asking Margaret the question he began to on their first meeting and she accepted. Margaret agreed to dinner but not without apprehension. She wasn't sure she was ready to commit to someone, not that Brad was ready to commit either.

She'd spent over an hour trying to chose an outfit and still came out unsure. Exasperated Margaret sat on her bed, opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out a pile of pictures. Margaret tried avoiding looking at the pictures she had from the 4077 but as she truly began to move on with her life, amazingly, she missed the life she use to have. Looking at the pictures were bittersweet, especially when she got to her picture of Hawkeye. She wasn't prepared to move on yet but she knew she had to. And so putting her pictures back, Margaret got dressed.

"I'm ashamed to admit that I got myself out of Korea." Brad confessed as he and Margaret were at a small Italian diner.

"No one wants to be in Korea. Not even Koreans." Margaret said forcing a smile. "And basically everyone who was there was trying to leave. One Corporal wore a dress most of his time there."

"Oh," Brad said unsure of what she had met and to ashamed to reveal his ignorance. "Are you alright Margaret. You haven't touched your food."

"I'm fine. I'm just not very hungry." Margaret confessed forcing her head up to look Brad in his eyes. "I think I need some fresh air, if you wouldn't mind." Margaret said standing up to only sit back down.

"Are you alright?" Brad asked rushing over to her.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm sorry I'm being an awfully bad date. Would you mind if we called it a night."

"Sure. Why don't I pay the bill and take you home."

"No, it's fine. It's in the opposite direction for you. I'll be fine. Thank you for tonight. We'll do it again." Margaret said desperate to get home and in bed.

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure. Good night." Margaret said standing up again and staying up.

"Come in." Margaret called to the door, too tired to move and get it herself.

"My, my, what happened to you?" Jane asked entering the apartment and looking at Margaret who laid on the couch.

"I don't know. I can't move. If I do I get sick."

"My goodness." Jane exclaimed closing the door behind her. "So I take it the date wasn't great."

"I couldn't pay attention. I spent the evening waiting for the food to be moved from in front of me. And I was so light headed that I feel down when I tried to stand up. I went home early and went to bed. I woke up about an hour ago when I got sick."

"Oh Dear. That's not good. You should see a doctor." Jane said taking a seat in a chair.

"I don't go to the doctor. I don't like them." Margaret said turning to face her cousin.

"You work with doctors."

"Precisely why I don't like them. Regardless. It's probably a bug or something. I've felt it coming on for a while now, it's just gotten worse."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I've felt run down, I've been nauseated and light headed…." Margaret faded as she slowly stood up. "Would you like some tea?

"Sure thanks."

"All I know is that I'd better get well soon because my father is coming to see me and I have to be in the best shape. He's not pleased I left the service and I just can't disappoint him with anything else."

"Being sick isn't a crime Maggie."

"I'm sick. I don't get sick. The last time I remembering feeling like this was when…" Margaret gasped dropping her cup. "Oww."

"Maggie!" Jane exclaimed going to the kitchen. "Are you okay?"

"I just dropped boiling water on my foot what do you think!" Margaret exclaimed grabbing a towel to pick up the mess.

"When did you feel like this?" Jane asked

An image of her good-bye with Hawkeye flashed before Margaret's mind as she knelt on the floor cleaning the mess.

"No." Margaret whispered.

"This is me. Whatever it is you can tell me." Jane said sitting down on the floor next to her cousin.

"In Korea I - I - it doesn't even matter because it was negative." Margaret said continuing to clean up the floor.

"What was negative?"

"A pregnancy test!" Margaret shouted pounding her fist on the ground.

"Margaret!" Jane exclaimed. "Are you pregnant?"

"No, no I'm not I can't be. I can't be pregnant."

"You'll need to have a test Mags."

"No. No one can know about this. Do you understand? No one." Margaret said urgently.

"Okay." Jane replied stunned by her reaction.

"No, no." Margaret protested, quickly coming back to earth. "No one can know about this. No one."

"Okay I won't tell." Jane promised. "You have to have a test done."

"I know. I know." Margaret said beginning to feel ill. "Oh for the love of God."

"I think I have a plan." Jane said from outside the bathroom door.

"What?" Margaret asked not moving from her spot on the floor.

"We'll take your blood Monday. If anyone asks questions I can say it's mine." Jane announced triumphantly. "What do you think? Margaret."

"Yeah. That's good." Margaret said quietly, opening the bathroom door, tears falling from her face.

"Oh Maggie." Jane said giving Margaret a hug.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It took four days to get the results. They took the blood on Monday and by Wednesday the results were in. Margaret wouldn't speak about the test. She couldn't even let herself think about. It was easier during the day, she kept herself busy with work both at the hospital and at home but at night it was harder. She couldn't sleep at night, and was only able to sit in the living room and hope that it was untrue.

"Here it is." Jane said handing Margaret an unopened envelope.

"Thanks."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. This is really pointless I'm sure. It's going to be negative." Margaret rambled.

"Do you want me to be there with you when you open it?" Jane asked sympathetically.

"No. Thanks. It's not a big deal. Like I said it's negative I could do it here but I think I'll wait till I get home."

"I'll call you tonight."

"Yeah. I'm going to go." Margaret said turning around to leave. "Thanks Jane."

Margaret took the long route home, stopping off at the grocer, flowershop and post office. And once she got home she set the envelop on the table and didn't touch it. Instead she sat and stared at it. She'd spent the past couple days convincing herself that the results would be negative but sitting there she couldn't do it.

"Oh stop it, this is ridiculous." Margaret scolded herself grabbing the envelop but stopping short of opening it. "Open it Major."

Closing her eyes Margaret ripped open the envelope.

"You didn't answer your phone last night." Jane said the next morning as she caught up with Margaret at the hospital.

"Sorry. I was busy." Margaret replied not looking up from her work.

"What happened?"

"It was positive." Margaret answered quickly.

"What!" Jane cried. "Oh Maggie that's - what is that?"

"It's not something we're going to discuss here."

"When?" Jane asked. "At lunch?"

"If you insist… tonight." Margaret said taking a deep breath as she felt her eyes water.

"Okay."

"Who's the father?" Jane asked as the two women sat around Margaret's kitchen table.

"So much for delicacy."

"It's Hawkeye's isn't it?"

"Shut up!" Margaret snapped angrily.

"Margaret." Jane weakly apologized. "It's going to be okay. All you need to do is call him or write."

"Jane. Look I don't really want to talk about this." Margaret pleaded tears falling down her face. "I don't want a baby. Not now. I'm not married! I'm not even maternal! I just got home. I just started to do what I wanted. To have a life. I've just started this new job. I can't have a baby."

"Well, you are maternal." Jane argued first. "And this is a life, the most important one. You've said that you wanted a family-"

"I want a family. This isn't a family. This is a baby!" Margaret yelled. "How could I explain this to my parents? Or anyone else? How could I be this irresponsible?"

"You should talk with Hawkeye. I'm sure he'll marry you."

"No," Margaret replied with a harsh laugh. "I haven't talked to Hawkeye since Korea. Furthermore, Hawkeye would never marry me."

"You're having his baby."

"That doesn't matter. Hawkeye isn't a marrying type and he definitely wouldn't marry me. Not that I'd want him to. I've been in one loveless marriage, I'm not about to be in a second."

"You love him. And the way he looked at you in the picture he loves you too. And you two are having-"

"Don't- don't say it again." Margaret interrupted. "That is not going to fix anything. It certainly a way to start a marriage. Look Jane, I'm tired. I want to go lay down, wake up and hopefully, find out that this is all a dream."

"Maggie-"

"No. I'm going to bed. You can let yourself out or you can stay here I don't care which." Margaret said getting up to go to her bedroom. "And please don't tell anyone about this, not even Joe."


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks all for the reviews. The pressure's on and hopefully I won't disappoint!

Chapter 6

"Margaret?" Hawkeye said in amazement looking at the woman walking along the other side of the road. After the war Captain Benjamin Pierce thought he saw a lot of things and ol'Hotlips was definitely one of them. He'd even had dreams that went much like this one, that involved him chasing Margaret for her to disappear. Nevertheless, he had to take the chance "Margaret!"

"Margaret!" he shouted again racing across the street not waiting for traffic to clear. "Hotlips!"

It worked. Margaret turned around and looked every bit as beautiful as he remembered her, possibly more so.

"Hawkeye?" She replied incredulous, stopping dead in her tracks.

"Margaret." Hawkeye said walking up to her and embracing her.

Both of them holding on to each other as if their lives depended on it.

"Hawkeye, what are you doing here?" Margaret asked pulling away.

"What are you doing here?"

"I - I -" Margaret stopped, looking over her shoulder to a man Hawkeye hadn't noticed before. "Brad this is Dr. Benjamin Pierce - Hawkeye this is Dr. Bradley Mitchell."

"Oh," Hawkeye said feeling like a deflated balloon. "Hi."

"Nice to meet you," Brad said.

"Well, I'm sorry about that - well - uh -greeting. I'll be on my way," Hawkeye said turning around and walking away.

"Hawkeye," Margaret said chasing after him. "Don't go. Well, actually I have to go - to work. I'm on my break right now. Are you leaving immediately?"

"Why?"

"We could have dinner. Catch up," she suggested.

Hawkeye looked at Margaret and was surprised to see urgency in eyes.

"Ofcourse. When?"

"Tonight? Seven?"

Hawkeye looked over Margaret's shoulder and to her male companion and was even more confused.

"Sure. Luigi's Italian?"

"See you there."

"Did you ever think we'd be here?" Margaret asked nervously.

"Definitely not, I don't even like Italian," Hawkeye joked.

"Haha," Margaret said rolling her eyes.

"I must admit you clean up very nicely Major." Hawkeye said admiring Margaret's navy blue cocktail dress and pulled up hair.

"You don't look so bad yourself."

"I do what I can," Hawkeye replied with a shrug, eager to move on to more important topics, "Who was that guy earlier?"

"Brad? He's a surgeon I work with. He's nice."

"I'm sure. He looks nice." Hawkeye said jealously.

"Yeah," Margaret replied giving him an odd look.

"What have you been up to Hotlips?"

"Have you kept in touch with anyone from 4077?" Margaret asked as conversation began to lull.

"Besides you?" Hawkeye asked with his devilish grin.

"Yeah," Margaret said returning his smile.

"Sidney Freedman."

"What? Why?" Margaret asked smile gone.

"Korea's haunting me again." Hawkeye said sarcastically.

"Oh Hawkeye. What's happened?" Margaret asked ignoring his tone.

"Nobody gets it. It's like it never happened, everyone forgot. Hell they never knew." Hawkeye said his good humor gone.

"I know." Margaret said taking his hands in hers. "We lost out. Life went on without us."

"You're telling me." Hawkeye said messaging Margaret's hands. "I don't sleep. I can't. I've slept maybe 12 hours all week."

"What did Sidney say?"

"Same old, same old. I'm a little skeptical about his credentials." Hawkeye said sarcastically. "I don't know why but I can't get over that baby. How stupid is that? "

"It's not stupid." Margaret assured, tensing up at the mention of a baby.

"We watched hundreds of people die and yet this one. ..I want to take it back. I wish - that woman did it because of me. It was a baby Margaret"

"Don't blame yourself Ben." Margaret pleaded, brushing her hand across his face.

"I've missed you." Hawkeye whispered brushing his nose against hers and then his lips.

Somehow from the little restaurant downtown they ended up in Margaret's apartment, sitting up on the floor in her bedroom with nothing covering them but a sheet.

"This remind you of anything?" Hawkeye asked kissing Margaret's hair.

"Yeah," Margaret said turning her face closer to Hawkeye's chest.

"I've got to say we have always worked very well together," Hawkeye said yawning.

"Ben," Margaret said after a few minutes. "This _has _reminded me of something. I don't know how to tell you this. I still haven't even figured out how to tell myself. I'm pregnant. And I'm so scared. Ben?"

Margaret shook her head weakly.

"And he sleeps."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

When Margaret left for work the morning after her night with Hawkeye she did so painfully, she wanted to stay with him. Margaret even left the house later than she should have because she'd sat for several minutes watching him sleep. She had never seen him sleep before, their night in Korea hadn't left time for sleeping, and he was a very peaceful sleeper. She was glad he was sleeping, she was glad she was the reason he could sleep, she only wished he would have waited until she told him about her condition. She was torn about seeing Hawkeye. She'd missed him so much a couple weeks ago and under normal circumstances she wouldn't have been happier but now she didn't know what to do.

Before seeing Hawkeye, Margaret had been ready to fly to Canada and deal with her problem but after seeing him she couldn't. She became as haunted as he was about the woman on the bus. She had wanted to solve her problem as quickly and easily as possible and she realized that that wasn't going to happen.

Margaret was torn. She knew Hawkeye was not in any position to handle her news. He was still adjusting to civilian life. But at the same time she couldn't get rid of her problem because she knew if he ever found out it would kill him.

So Margaret decided that she would go through with the pregnancy but she didn't know how she'd get through it.

Hawkeye didn't feel any better than Margaret about having to leave. On his return to Maine, Hawkeye came to the conclusion that his night with Margaret had done him more good that his several late night with Sidney Freedman. He had hated waking up to an empty house but was touched that Margaret had set out breakfast and the paper for him. He was glad he had fallen asleep because he desperately needed some but he wished he's have been awake to tell her good-bye. Hawkeye even considered staying a little longer in Washington but decided it was time to go. He had known when he left Korea that nothing could happen between him and Margaret. They were too different and workaholics, and that was a catastrophe for a relationship. Plus he had seen the men Margaret had loved and knew he was not one of those men.

The monotony of Maine was not what Hawkeye had remembered. Throughout his stay in Korea he had wished he could come home but now he wasn't so sure that was the right wish. The town he had grown up in and loved had not changed. It was one of the few things about America that was exactly the same as when he had left but that was part of the problem. Hawkeye had changed tremendously in Korea, he wasn't the same guy and no one could understand that - not even his father. So he played the game and pretended everything was fine when in reality it wasn't.

The slowness in Maine only left Hawkeye with more time to think about Korea. There was nothing to distract him. Sure there were booze and girls but they didn't help. When he drank in Korea it was for fun and camaraderie but he didn't have friends like he did in the 4077 in Crabapple Grove and he didn't want himself to develop a habit, therefore he attempted to limit his alcoholic consumption. He did spend time with girls but he found them all flighty and out of touch with reality- at least his reality. Before he wouldn't have minded, the less serious a girl was the better, but now every time he was with a girl he thought of Margaret.

He thought of Margaret all the time. He thought about what she was doing and who she was seeing. He missed her more than he ever thought he could miss anyone and so to pass his time he wrote to her.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews, they are very appreciated!

Chapter 8

_Dear Margaret,_

_I've started about a dozen letters to you and haven't sent them so we'll see how this one turns out. I wanted to thank you for the other evening. It was great seeing you. I hadn't had such a nice night since I returned home. Crabapple Cove is great and all but it's not the same. Well as I said before it is the same. I'm not the same and I guess that's the problem. It's too quiet, I have too much time to think. I just can't get Korea out of my head. _

_I keep thinking about when I was sent to the Battalion Aide. Thankfully, you never had to go there Margaret, that was hell. Our work was hard but theirs was unbearable. Those conditions were the worst, it made the Swamp look like the Plaza. I'm ashamed to admit that I spent most of my time there under the table and not in the good way. I wrote my will and testament one time. I've been thinking about it too. Why tell people how much they mean to you when you're dead? What does it matter if they don't know when you're alive? _

_Take you for instance. Do you realize we were the only two who were at the 4077 from the beginning to the end- at least for the officers. Sure we didn't get along the whole time but I couldn't imagine going through it without you. Especially near the end. I lived for your letters when I was in Tokyo. I don't think I told you that. It was my only contact with the outside world, they made me feel human. _

_I'm sending you what I left you in my will. Do you remember that day we were taking stock? And you made the sulfa joke? I'd never loved any woman more than I loved you at that moment. You were amazing. That laugh of yours. You need to laugh more Margaret. Anyway I'm giving you my Marx glasses to remind you to have more fun. _

_I'll be leaving you something else although I haven't quite figured out what. You're important to me Margaret and I want you to know that._

_Your friend,_

_Ben_

"Well, Hawkeye you don't have to worry about leaving me something." Margaret said resting her hands on her stomach as she set the letter down. "You've already taken care of that."

Hawkeye's letters continued and Margaret always replied. At the start his letters were reflective and somber but slowly they changed. Jokes crept in with increasing regularity and Hawkeye talked more about what he was doing rather than what he wished he had done. Margaret wrote Hawkeye letters of encouragement and understanding to begin with but as his letters changed so did hers. She too wrote him about her everyday life, however she always failed to mention one small detail.

Margaret knew it was only a matter of time before she had to reveal to Hawkeye her secret.

_Margaret,_

_Sorry I haven't written lately. Things have been rather hectic up here. So much has changed that I don't know where to begin. I'll spare you the boring details of my life and keep this brief. I hope you are well. _

_I'll write more later,_

_Hawkeye_

Margaret couldn't help but feel disappointed by the shortness of his letter. She was also felt hurt that he signed Hawkeye and not Ben, but shrugging it off she determined it was a good sign and must mean that he was feeling better. Margaret had promised herself that when it seemed like Hawkeye could handle the news she'd tell him she was pregnant.

Standing up and Margaret began to pace across the living room. She didn't know how to tell Hawkeye but taking a deep breath she sat down at her desk, took out a pen and paper and began to write.

_Dear Ben,_

"Dear Ben…what? I can't tell him I'm pregnant in a letter. Oh-" Margaret gasped as she was greeted with a kick.

"How did this happen?" she asked herself placing her hands on her stomach and being met with another kick. Tears welled in Margaret's eyes and she bit her lip to keep from crying. "Please don't. I need to focus and if I'm reminded I'm pregnant it's going to be that much harder to tell Hawkeye."

Kicking or not. Margaret couldn't seem to find the words to tell Hawkeye about the baby. She couldn't find the courage to call him about it either so she decided to hold off just a little bit longer.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Beej!" Hawkeye greeted as he walked out of the airport terminal.

"Hawk! And you said we'd never see each other again. Come here." BJ Hunnicut said giving his friend a hug.

"Well, you were suppose to be in California." Hawkeye reminded grinning.

Soon after he had started to write Margaret, Hawkeye received a letter from BJ informing him a wonderful job opportunity. Just as Maine hadn't been what Hawkeye expected, California wasn't what BJ expected either but for different reasons. Peg's father had died when the war ended and Peg wanted to be with her mother who lived on the opposite coast. An unhappy Peg meant and unhappy BJ so the family packed up and moved to Maryland where he got a job at John Hopkins as a surgeon and part time advisor to interns. He enjoyed it more than he thought and when he ran in to Sidney, picked up that Hawkeye had a rough time readjusting to civilian life and heard of another job opening he thought his old friend would enjoy it too.

Hawkeye leaped at the opportunity to move to Maryland especially with Margaret living in Georgetown. After several weeks of exchanging intimate letters with Margaret he had become ever more convinced of his feelings for her.

Hawkeye went home with BJ and was finally introduced to Peg (who was expecting a baby) and Erin. They played with Erin and told Peg stories about the 4077 - the fun ones of course. And when the sun began to set Hawkeye and BJ rested on the Hunnicutt porch.

"Night Daddy," Erin said walking over to BJ and giving him a hug.

"Goodnight Princess," her replied giving her a big kiss. "Here, go give your Uncle Hawkeye a hug too."

"Good night Erin." Hawkeye said accepting the little girls hug. "She's a beautiful girl Beej."

"I know. Isn't she. Man I can't tell you how great it is to be Stateside." BJ said once Peg and Erin were inside. "I'll tell you a secret. I was scared."

"Of what?" Hawkeye asked opening another beer.

"Of it not working out. I didn't know. You hear so much of marriages breaking up. But Peggy, she's amazing! I love her more than when I married her. She's sympathetic and understanding. I mean she knows she can never fully understand it but she listens. And then with Erin. My God I was so afraid that she'd hate me. But when I first saw her she came right up to me and gave me a hug and kiss. There have been some rough moments but it was everything I wanted. And now with this new baby coming. I'm finally going to get to be there for the whole thing," BJ reflected. "I'm sorry Hawk."

"Hey don't apologize. I'm happy for you. Really." Hawkeye insisted. "If anyone deserves it it's you."

"How are things working out for you? Everything you thought it would be?"

"Nothing I thought it would be." Hawkeye confessed. "Can I tell you a secret Beej?"

"Sure. Why not?" BJ said with a shrug.

"I'm in love with Margaret Houlihan."

"That's not a secret Hawk." BJ replied not changing his tone.

"What?" Hawkeye cried incredulously.

"You've loved Margaret since most the time I've known you." BJ said with a chuckle. "That's no secret."

"Well how about this," Hawkeye began determined to shock his friend. "We had _quite _a goodbye in Korea."

"That is definitely not a secret!" BJ exclaimed laughing.

"What!"

"I could hear your goodbye from the Swamp! Hell they could hear your goodbye in Tokyo."

"What?" Hawkeye cried shocked.

"I have to say you seemed to have a very nice time."

"Hand me a drink." Hawkeye said in defeat.

"So you love her and you know it what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know."

"That's a plan."

"You know what you said about Peg and coping. Well, Margaret's been helping me with that. More than she knows I think."

"Tell her."

"Tell her what?"

"You love her."

"Yeah, I'll tell her."


	10. Chapter 10

Well, I have a feeling some of you won't be pleased with where the story is going but I'm no writer. Anyone who wants to take the plot or parts of it and run with it feel free. Thanks for the reviews.

Chapter 10

"I hate him." Margaret said throwing a vase against a wall.

"I hate him, I hate him!" she screamed again before falling back on to the couch.

"_Hawkeye?" Margaret called out surprised. He was the last person she expected to see. _

_"Margaret." Hawkeye replied shocked but quickly recovering. "Don't you look nice."_

_Becoming self-conscious Margaret quickly wrapped her jacket tightly around herself._

_"Thank you. So do you. What are you going in D.C.?"_

_"Shopping." Hawkeye said looking nervously over his shoulder._

_"You came here from Maine to shop?" Margaret asked confused as she watched how nervous Hawkeye was acting._

_"No no, um, Maryland. I was going to give you a call. I didn't think I'd see you here." Hawkeye rambled. _

_"Hawkeye," a young woman greeted as she walked out of the bookstore. "Sorry I took so long. I told you not to let me go in to a book store-"_

_"Lacy, I'd like you to meet my old friend Margaret Houlihan." Hawkeye interrupted. "Margaret, Lacy Jones."_

_"Oh," Margaret replied shocked. "Hi."_

_"Hello, a pleasure to meet you. I didn't mean to interrupt." Lacy apologized._

_"No, no, not at all. I actually have to get going." Margaret said trying her best to regroup and walk away._

_"Margaret, wait. Wait. Can we have dinner? There are some things I want to talk to you about." Hawkeye said grabbing her arm._

_"Lunch." Margaret said sternly. "Tomorrow afternoon."_

"Tomorrow afternoon. You idiot!" Margaret berated herself. "Ahhhh! You know what he's going to say. I don't know why he just didn't say it. Margaret, I'm engaged. Or married! That's what his big news was in that letter. Oh that bimbo. She barely looked 20!"

"An old friend! I hate him. He called me an old friend! Oh please don't." Margaret moaned as she felt the baby's movement. "Behave. I don't have time to worry about you right now. I have to go get ready for lunch with your father and hear all about his girlfriend."

Hawkeye sat nervously at the little outdoor café he'd asked Margaret to meet him at. When Lacy, daughter of a family friend, asked him to take her to Georgetown he was hesitant. He knew he ran the risk of seeing Margaret but he thought he'd take his chances. He had wanted to plan something special for Margaret when he saw her next and now he was flying blind. Or at least sort of. His plan was to have lunch and then take her on a walk through the Mall where he'd tell her he loved her and ask her to give him a chance. It was a vague plan but the only one he had to work with. His nervousness picked up when he saw Margaret coming down the street.

"Hi, Margaret," he greeted standing to pull out a chair.

"Hi, I can't stay long. I have errands to run and I have to get ready for a date with Brad tonight." Margaret said coolly as she sat down.

Shocked by her reply, Hawkeye's face fell sober.

"Well, I didn't know you two were seeing each other." Hawkeye replied trying to regroup.

"Really?" Margaret said forcing a smile. "You know how things go."

"Yeah. Well I'm - I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. What brings you to Washington?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"She's seeing someone." Hawkeye said to himself as he sat in his hotel room with a bottle of bourbon.

"Why are you surprised? She's a catch. You're an idiot."

"She didn't tell me. She never let on. He wasn't mentioned in any of her letters." Hawkeye protested to himself.

"What is she going to say? I've fallen madly in love with another man? Why should she tell you anyway? You never told her how you felt"

"I didn't because I couldn't. Now I can. Now I can." Hawkeye said standing up. "I can tell her. I'm going to march right up to that apartment of hers and tell her."

Hawkeye felt himself sobering up quickly as he briskly walked down the street to Margaret's apartment. And he began to have doubts.

"What am I doing?" he asked himself as he reached her block. "Force her to love me? Tell her leave Dr. Dimwit for me?"

Sitting down on the curb, Hawkeye pulled out a coin.

"Heads I see her, tails I leave."

Walking up the stairs to her front door, Hawkeye knocked and received no response.

"Margaret?" he called, knocking again.

At no response he tried the door and found it open.

"Margaret?" Hawkeye called again entering the apartment. "Margaret!"

Hawkeye rushed over to Margaret who was lying on the floor covered in blood.

"Margaret?" he said taking her pulse. Racing his hands to find the source of blood he was greeted by a bump in Margaret's abdomen. "My God."

"Okay Margaret, I'm going to lift you up and get you to a hospital."

"Is she okay?" Hawkeye asked as a doctor left Margaret's hospital room.

"Are you family?" the doctor asked sternly.

"I'm her husband." Hawkeye lied.

"Oh well in that case. She's fine. So is the baby. She suffered some bleeding but we were able to stop it. She's recovering."

"Can I see her?" Hawkeye asked nervously.

"Ofcourse. She's asleep but you can sit with her."

Hawkeye cautiously entered the room, he was a doctor and yet he had never been more afraid to see a patient. Quietly he walked over to Margaret and kissed her forehead before sitting down and watching her sleep.

"Morning gorgeous." Hawkeye greeted as Margaret began to stir. "How do you feel?"

"What? Where am I?" Margaret asked groggily.

"You're in the hospital."

"Hospital! My b-" she cried sitting up. "My- my- I'm pregnant."

"I know. You were bleeding. The doctor says everything is fine. I didn't get the details but your baby is fine"

"My baby." Margaret said running her hands along her stomach. "I'd like to see a doctor."

"Okay. I'll go get him," Hawkeye said standing up. "Do you want me to call someone? Brad?"

"Why would you call Brad?" Margaret asked disoriented as she concentrated on her abdomen.

"Well, he might want to know about you and the baby."

"Hawkeye-"

"You're awake Mrs. Pierce." a nurse said entering the room.

"Mrs. Pierce?!"

"Yes she is." Hawkeye said. "Now _Dear_, I'll see you later. If you need anything call me."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Hawkeye went to work after he left the hospital. And was a force to be reckoned with. He was irritable and yelled at everything that moved and, when a jar fell on his foot, nonmoving objects too. He was avoided by most but when he laid it in to an intern BJ had to intervene.

"What's gotten in to you?" BJ asked, pushing him in to an empty room. "You've been a real ass all day."

"She's pregnant!"

"Who?"

"Margaret! I saw her in Georgetown when I was with Lacy and we arranged to have lunch. She came and told me she couldn't stay because she had to meet _Brad_. I had a little to much to drink and decided to go see her and she was on the floor in blood."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down." BJ demanded unprepared for the watershed of information.

"I missed out. Now she's with this- this-"

"Brad? What did she say? Is she okay?" BJ asked concerned.

"Yeah. She didn't say much. She said she was pregnant."

"Anything else?"

"Not really. I asked if she wanted me to call Brad and she said no." Hawkeye said exasperated.

"She said no?" BJ asked skeptical.

"Yeah. Damnit Beej."

"Hold on, did she say Brad was the father?"

"Not in so many words. What does it matter?" Hawkeye asked annoyed.

"It could matter."

"She already said she was seeing that guy. Who else is going to be the father?"

"I distinctly remember someone having a not-so-secret - secret good-bye with one Major Houlihan," BJ reminded. "Maybe you have a little gift from Korea."

"What?!" Hawkeye cried. "No, no, no! No! Margaret would have told me."

"Maybe."

"Maybe? What does that mean?"

"I've never been pregnant before myself but from my wife's testimony it's not easy. Maybe Margaret doesn't think it is either." BJ said taking a seat on the empty bed.

"She would tell me. We're friends now. We talk." Hawkeye protested.

"You've talked about a lot maybe she didn't think you could handle it. You've had a rough time readjusting." BJ suggested.

"Thanks for the support." Hawkeye scoffed.

"Look, all I'm saying is it's a possibility especially if she didn't want to call this Brad guy. Maybe she saw you with Lacy and went on the defensive."

"Margaret is defensive." Hawkeye agreed. "A baby? I could be a Dad?"

"Okay, let's not jump to conclusions." BJ said shooting up. "I just meant maybe you should talk to Margaret before you start yelling at everyone else."

"I have to go." Hawkeye said. "You have to cover me."

"Sure, sure, go, go." BJ waved on. "But prepare yourself okay. I didn't say you were the father."

"Whatever, I'll talk to you later." Hawkeye said racing off.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"What were you thinking?" Margaret moaned unsure whether she was talking to herself or to the baby.

"You scared me," Margaret said once she had made up her mind. "I don't like being scared. So don't do this again, okay? Okay."

Margaret rested her head against her pillow and messaged her stomach. To her relief she was met with a kick.

"Hello to you too." Margaret greeted a small smile spreading across her face. "I'm sorry I told you not to move earlier. I want you to move, you can move whenever you want to. Just lets avoid doctors for another six months okay."

"Margaret?" Hawkeye called from outside the door.

"Hawkeye?" Margaret said surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to check on you. I brought you some flowers." Hawkeye said handing her a bouquet of pink carnations.

"Oh they're lovely."

"Yeah, I snagged them out of this garden on Pennsylvania Ave." Hawkeye joked, taking a seat in the chair next to her bed.

"Thank you." Margaret said setting them down. "You didn't have to come back here."

"Who said I had to? Maybe I wanted to. I mean after all they think we're married. What kind of husband would I be if I didn't look in on my wife and child?"

"I - I - I don't know what to say." Margaret said flustered.

"You're pregnant." Hawkeye suggested.

"Yeah."

"How far along are you?" Hawkeye urged.

"A while. Could you hand me that glass of water?" Margaret asked as she felt her heart racing.

"Why didn't you tell me in one of your letters? I mean we're friends and all. Aren't we?"

"Ofcourse. Good friends. Look, Ben I'm tired. I appreciate you coming and all but I think I could use some rest." Margaret said nervously.

Tired of beating around the bush, Hawkeye decided to take the direct approach.

"Am I the father?" he couldn't look at her when he asked and when he did look up he saw that she wasn't looking at him either. "Margaret?"

"I-I- can't we talk later. I don't really think we should be having this discussion here. Someone could come in."

"Margaret I don't care if the damned President of the United States walks in, we're talking about this now. I'm the father?" Hawkeye shouted, pounding his fist on the bed.

Margaret jumped, surprised over Hawkeye's reaction. Taking a deep breath, tears began to fall from her face.

"Yes," she replied so quietly that Hawkeye could barely hear her.

"Why? Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ben, I don't want to have this conversation here. At least not now. I'm in the hospital."

"Margaret - you're having my baby. How could you not tell me? When were you going to tell me?" Hawkeye asked ignoring her request.

Margaret tried to open her mouth to speak but she couldn't; in fact, she could barely breath.

"Margaret?" Hawkeye asked concerned. "Margaret?"

"I can't talk to you right now. My blood pressure is too high. I'm in a hospital. I'm pregnant. I'm scared-" Margaret stopped abruptly as she realized what she said.

Hawkeye stopped too when he saw how upset Margaret was.

"Do you want me to get a nurse?"

"I want you to go."

"Fine. I'll go for now. But we are going to talk." Hawkeye said standing up to leave.

Once he was gone Margaret found herself able to breath again. She didn't know what was going on with her but she didn't like it. She was always in control and she knew she was not in control now. She wasn't in control of anything.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"What were you thinking?" Margaret moaned unsure whether she was talking to herself or to the baby.

"You scared me," Margaret said once she had made up her mind. "I don't like being scared. So don't do this again, okay? Okay."

Margaret rested her head against her pillow and messaged her hands against her stomach. To her relief she was met with a kick.

"Hello to you too." Margaret greeted a small smile spreading across her face. "I'm sorry I told you not to move earlier. I want you to move, you can move whenever you want to. Just lets avoid doctors for another six months okay."

"Margaret?" Hawkeye called from outside the door.

"Hawkeye?" Margaret said surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to check on you. I brought you some flowers." Hawkeye said handing her a bouquet of pink carnations.

"Oh they're lovely."

"Yeah, I snagged them out of this garden on Pennsylvania Ave." Hawkeye joked, taking a seat in the chair next to her bed.

"Thank you." Margaret said setting them down. "You didn't have to come back here."

"Who said I had to? Maybe I wanted to. I mean after all they think we're married. What kind of husband would I be if I didn't look in on my wife and child?"

"I - I - I don't know what to say." Margaret said flustered.

"You're pregnant." Hawkeye suggested.

"Yeah."

"How far along are you?" Hawkeye urged.

"A while. Could you hand me that glass of water?" Margaret asked as she felt her heart racing.

"Why didn't you tell me in one of your letters? I mean we're friends and all. Aren't we?"

"Ofcourse. Good friends. Look, Ben I'm tired. I appreciate you coming and all but I think I could use some rest." Margaret said nervously.

Tired of beating around the bush, Hawkeye decided to take the direct approach.

"Am I the father?" he couldn't look at her when he asked and when he did look up he saw that she wasn't looking at him either. "Margaret?"

"I-I- can't we talk later. I don't really think we should be having this discussion here. Someone could come in."

"Margaret I don't care if the damned President of the United States walks, we're talking about this now. I'm the father?" Hawkeye shouted, pounding his fist on the bed.

Margaret jumped, surprised over Hawkeye's reaction. Taking a deep breath, tears began to fall from her face.

"Yes," she replied so quietly that Hawkeye could barely hear her.

"Why? Why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ben, I don't want to have this conversation here. At least not now. I'm in the hospital."

"Margaret - you're having my baby. How could you not tell me? When were you going to tell me?" Hawkeye asked ignoring her request.

Margaret tried to open her mouth to speak but she couldn't; in fact, she could barely breath.

"Margaret?" Hawkeye asked concerned. "Margaret?"

"I can't talk to you right now. My blood pressure is too high. I'm in a hospital. I'm pregnant. I'm scared-" Margaret stopped abruptly as she realized what she said.

Hawkeye stopped too when he saw how upset Margaret was.

"Do you want me to get a nurse?"

"I want you to go."

"Fine. I'll go for now. But we are going to talk." Hawkeye said standing up to leave.

Once he was gone Margaret found herself able to breath again. She didn't know what was going on with her but she didn't like it. She was always in control and she knew she was not in control now. She wasn't in control of anything. Hawkeye and the baby had managed to take over her life.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Hawkeye stayed at the hospital all night. He stayed in the waiting room alternating between pacing and staring in to space. He couldn't believe what was happening. A day ago he was prepared to start a life with Margaret and now it appeared that a life had already been started and a Margaret didn't want him to be apart of it.

"Dr. Pierce, you have a phone call," a nurse said as she entered the waiting room. "A Dr. Hunnicutt."

"Okay, thanks. How's Margaret?"

"She's fine Sir."

"Good." Hawkeye said answering the phone. "Hey."

"How's it going? Called the hotel and you weren't there. I've called every hospital in metropolitan area to find you."

"You were right." Hawkeye interrupted. "It's mine."

"Congratulations." BJ replied. "It is congratulations isn't it?"

"The jury is out I guess. She won't talk to me."

"Really?" BJ said not too surprised.

"She said she wanted to talk later. You should have seen her Beej. She could barely breath when I was there. I've never seen her like that."

"She'll be okay." BJ assured. "Be patient with her. I can't imagine what you're going through but I'm sure it's worse for her."

"She didn't tell me. She didn't tell me she was pregnant." Hawkeye muttered to himself, rather than to BJ.

"And that sucks but you can't change it now."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to go." Hawkeye said impatiently hanging up the phone, as a doctor left Margaret's room. "Is she alright?"

"Her blood pressure is high. And I'll admit that I'm concerned about it. You'll have to make sure she isn't stressed."

"I'll see what I can do."

"If you want a baby in May you'll have to do better than that. Make sure she's not stressed."

"Yeah," Hawkeye muttered "Can I see her?"

"Ofcourse. She can go home today. I'm not assigning bed rest but I don't want her working or overexerting herself."

"Sure." Hawkeye said completely unsure about how he would do any of those thing.

Hawkeye took BJ's and the doctor's advice to heart and decided that the best way to avoid upsetting Margaret was to let her make the first move. What he hadn't expected on was that she wouldn't speak to him. Margaret remained silent during the car ride back to her apartment, when they arrived to her apartment and for the next three days after that.

"I don't know what to do Beej. She's driving me crazy and she's literally not doing anything!" Hawkeye cried once the two were alone in his office.

"I don't know what to say. You're just going to have to live with it, I guess. It comes with the territory of love. If it makes you feel better Peg's on my case too. Erin wants this doll and it's no where. These too are Christmas joys you'll get to experience soon. I'm dying to find this doll. My first Christmas with Erin and I'm not going to fail on the this job."

"Christmas I forgot about that. When is it?"

"The same day its been on for the past thousand or so years." BJ joked. "It's in a couple weeks."

"Really already! Who knew." Hawkeye replied indifferently. "Well, I'm off to endure the silent wrath of Margaret."

"Enjoy!" BJ said grinning.


	16. Chapter 16

"Honey I'm home." Hawkeye announced as he entered Margaret's apartment. He had been staying with her since her release from the hospital. He came over after work, sat around the house during the evening and slept on the couch at night. At the very least he felt he was saving money on hotel costs.

"Shut up!" Margaret shouted, standing up and throwing down a letter.

"And she speaks." Hawkeye replied surprised.

"What are you doing here?" Margaret snapped.

"What happened Margaret?" Hawkeye asked ignoring her question

"My father is coming."

"That's horrible?" Hawkeye said unsurely, grabbing a glass of water.

"It is. I can't see my father! Not like this. He would die! Or kill me! Or you! Oh I hate you!" Margaret cried.

Hawkeye looked at Margaret and felt sorry for her. And sorry in general. It was the first time since he learned that she was pregnant that she had began to talk to him and it wasn't exactly what he had hoped for.

"Oh God, alright. I could not go. I don't know how I'd explain that. It will only be for a couple hours. I could buy some larger clothes." Margaret stood up and began to pace around the room, strategizing more to herself than to Hawkeye.

"I have an idea."

"I'm not that big yet." Margaret said not listening to Hawkeye but examining herself in the mirror.

"I think I could help."

"My breasts however, are huge." Margaret gasped.

"Margaret!" Hawkeye cried. "As much as I'd love to discuss your breasts. I think I can help you with your problem."

"Don't you think you've helped enough?" Margaret asked glaring at him.

"Margaret." Hawkeye said exasperated. "I love you."

"What!"

"I love you. And I want to marry you."

"What?"

"I'm sure Colonel Houlihan would be more understanding to his married daughter."

"You'd marry me?" Margaret asked stunned.

"I want to marry you." Hawkeye said walking over to her.

"Thank you, Hawkeye. Do you think we could get a judge tonight?" Margaret asked as she rushed over to the phonebook.

"Sure why not?" Hawkeye said disappointedly sitting down on the couch.


	17. Chapter 17

Margaret and Hawkeye got married on Friday and on Monday they were getting ready for dinner with Colonel Houlihan. Although she married him, Margaret didn't talk to Hawkeye anymore than she had before and it drove him nuts. She wasn't the desolate and quiet woman she was when she was at first, now she was the uptight, hothead he remembered from Korea. She spent all her time giving Hawkeye a list of rules and regulations he was to follow during the dinner. Margaret had also decided that they would tell her father that they had been married in Korea because she was too ashamed to tell him the truth. A concept that did not inspire Hawkeye.

"How do I look?" Margaret asked walking out of the bathroom in a black cocktail dress.

"Amazing." Hawkeye replied, captivated by her beauty.

"Can you tell I'm pregnant?" Margaret asked ignoring Hawkeye compliment and examining her abdomen.

"No." Hawkeye replied in defeat. "What does it matter anyway? You are going to tell him aren't you?"

"I want to tell him, I don't want him to find out on his own!" Margaret cried angrily.

"Aren't you considerate? I can only imagine how horrible it would be to find out on ones own."

"Now listen to me very carefully Benjamin Pierce. I do not want ANY funny business. This dinner is VERY important to me."

"I'll be a perfect gentleman. You won't even recognize me."

"You're not wearing that are you?"

"What's wrong with this?" Hawkeye asked looking at his suit.

"Where is your uniform?"

"Hell if I know."

"You got rid of your uniform!" Margaret exclaimed.

"Margaret, I have memorized the pages of what I can do, say and look at. If you want to be there on time we'd better leave now." Hawkeye said ignoring Margaret.

"Fine. I guess you look alright." Margaret said examining him before grabbing her purse.

"Daddy!" Margaret greeted happily as Alvin Houlihan came over to their table.

"Hello Margaret." Alvin said giving his daughter a hug. "Who's this?"

"This is - this is my - Dr. Benjamin Franklin Pierce, a veteran of the war. You met him when you came to the MASH unit. He's an amazing surgeon and we're married." Margaret spoke so quickly that Hawkeye barely knew what she said.

"Pleasure to meet you again Sir." Hawkeye greeted extending his hand.

"When did this happen?" Alvin asked. "Why didn't I know about this?"

"Korea. We got married in Korea. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I know how busy you are and well…. I wanted to tell you in person."

"Why didn't you tell me when I saw you in August?" Alvin asked taking a seat.

"Well…well.." Margaret stammered.

"I wanted to be with her when she told you. I feel badly for not ask for her hand."

"Where were you in August?" Alvin asked sternly.

"I was working on settling down in Maryland. I'm a surgeon at Johns Hopkins." Hawkeye spoke with a seriousness unfamiliar to him.

"You were the one in the Hawaiian shirt." Alvin remembered.

"I was but - "

"Disrespect for the service is -"

"Daddy, Ben served the country with distinction. Sure he had a more relaxed approach but it was really an asset to the unit."

"Margaret I must say I'm very surprised about this. You failed in your marriage with the very prominent and respectful Lt. Colonel Penobscott and now you're with this- this-"

"Dad." Margaret interrupted, using all her strengthen to hold back tears.

"I may not be your ideal son in law, Colonel but I love your daughter, very much. And I promise you I'm going to make Margaret very happy."

Margaret sat stunned at Hawkeye's confession. "I'm pregnant, Daddy. Ben and I are having a baby."

By the time Margaret and Hawkeye returned to her apartment they were both exhausted. Hawkeye quickly fell asleep on the couch but Margaret couldn't fall asleep in her bed.

She hated how her father treated Hawkeye and she admired Hawkeye all the more for how he handled it. Margaret felt like a fool for her own behavior. She'd cared so much about her father's feeling she didn't notice how much Hawkeye cared about her. Hawkeye told her father he loved her. He was a perfect gentleman the entire evening and took all her father's insults without complaint.

"I'm an idiot." Margaret moaned, thinking about how horrible she'd been to Hawkeye before they'd left that evening. "I told him I didn't want my father to find out about the baby on his own but I let him."

Overcome with guilt Margaret got out of bed, put on a robe and went out in to the living room.

"Ben," Margaret whispered as she stood above him.

"Ben," she repeated shoving his arm. "Good lord how can you be such a hard sleeper? Ben!"

Margaret cupped her hands around her mouth. "Attention all personnel, incoming wounded!"

"I'm up! I'm up." Hawkeye said shooting up.

"Hi. Did I wake you?" Margaret asked innocently.

"Me? No I'm always up at…3 in the morning." Hawkeye replied getting up sitting up.

"Thank you." Margaret said looking down at her hands.

"What for?" Hawkeye asked groggily.

"What for?!" Margaret exclaimed shocked. " For everything! For being so nice to me, for marrying me and coming with me to see my father."

" Margaret-"

"No. I've been awful to you and I'm sorry." Margaret said becoming choked up.

"Margaret," Hawkeye said gently pulling her down on the couch next to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the baby. I didn't know how. I couldn't wrap my head around it. And then I saw you and you were upset. You don't know this but I told you. You were sleep. After that I didn't want to make it worse for you. I just couldn't tell you." Margaret explain tears falling down her face. "I'm so scared, Ben. I don't think I can do this. I don't know how to have a baby. I've scolded the baby and it's not even born. When I woke up in the hospital I was terrified I lost the baby. And I'm just - I realized how much I want this baby for the first time and that scares me even more."

"It's okay to be scared." Hawkeye said brushing away her tears. "It's a scary thing but it's a wonderful thing. We're going to be parents."

"Don't say that. Oh Ben, I just I can't think about that. It's so hard because sometimes I just wish it never happened. But I can't. I can't wish it never happened because I love you. I love you and I love being with you. And I love this baby." Margaret said bursting out in tears.

"Margaret, it's okay. It's going to be okay." Hawkeye assured kissing Margaret's forehead. "I love you too. It's going to be okay. I love you Margaret."

"Oh, Ben, I love you." Margaret said passionately kissing Hawkeye. "I love you."


End file.
